11beta-formyloxy steroids and process for manufacturing same



.l i a equ y 26136.91

United Sims 2,946310'? I r g 11 anomvmxnsrnnoms 'ANDdPROCESS2FOR MANUFACTURING-SAME: 1 .7 Eugene P."li'veto, Bmomnelmianu-Eiiia uer B .IHr sh-" berg, 'West" Grange, N;J., assign'o'rs" *S'che'rin'g Corpo-i ration," Bloomfield, N Jr; a eorporatioi'fof 'New Je'rsy No Drawing. Filed Apr. 8,- 1954, so. No. 421,948

'10 Claims. ((21. 260-39145) tively. easily split oiito enable "the llfi-hydroxyl toibe." regenerated. 7 I

In I the manufacture of various physiologically? "active" compounds, andparti'cularly "of "adrenal hormone-s and" of intermediates for the preparation of such hormones, starting steroid compounds are employed or are available which have only an llfi-OH substituent'on theC- ring, and also an hydroxyl group in one or more of the preparation of the desired hormone or of"an intermediate therefor, it becomes necessary to subject the starting compound to various chemieal rreagents, such as oxidizing and halogenating agents for the conversion of one or more alcohol groups into: a keto group, or for introducing a nuclear double bond byxsubstitilting halogen, preferably bromine, in the nucleus and subsequently dehydrohalogenating, or for introducing halogen, such as bromine; intothe Zl-methyl group of pr'egnane compounds to be followed by treatment with alkali v or 45 an alkali metal salt to introduce a hydroxyl ortes'ter group into the 21-positidn,'=and the like wherein, howevena it is necessary to prevent? any lpermanent change in the 11 3-OH group. 7

As described in our above mentioned copending ap- 6 plication, prior refliorts to acylate the ILB-hyd-roxyl group i of llfl-hydroxy perhydrocyclopentanophenanthrene compounds having no other substithent in the C-ring have proved unsuccessful. acylation with the usual acylating agents such as acetic anhydride in pyridine, the llfl-hydroxyl fails to esterify, and if a reaction does occur, i is one of dehydration, resulting in the deformation of f -double bond. 'In' all "examples described in the literature} acylation of 40 general formula M11", jg T Under the usual conditions of A llfi-esters has not been accomplished by chemical means where no activating roup was attached to the C-n'ng.

We have now made the surprising discovery that formylating agents idifiei' radically from acetylating and 5 other acylating agents withlrespect to their reactivity toward the llfl-hydroxylof the above-mentioned type of steroids and, further, with respect to the ease of hydrolysis of the formed llBl-torniate group. Whereas the llfi-acetates, propionates, butyrates, benzoates, etc. of

10 llfi-OH steroids, once produced'ar'e very diflicult, if not impossible,- to hydrolyze.v by chemical means, :wehave found that the 11B OHca'n berelat-ively easily-formylated and the formyl 1 ester I can be quite easily hydrolyzed after the operations on" other substituer'its of the steroid 15 molecule have beencompleted. Wehaveioundjurther that the llfi -formyl group, {while readilyl hydrolyzab le is not as easily f'split'ofir'l by hydrolysis as .formy-loxy groups, and likewise other ester groups-(such. as acet-oxy, propionoiiyf and other! lower fatty.--acid.,groups,: succinoxy and' otherdi'carbdxylic aliphatie acid -groups; and also:

aromatic acid groups like" ben'zoyloxyr and -the" like). atone or more other positions-in the. ste foidcompou-nd} such as the 3, 17,20 and 2l positionsa- This: differencemakes it possible..partiallyfto hydrolyze steroids having;

while the llfi-position remains protected against such' changes.

As will readily be understood, thefpresent invention is applicable to the treatment of steroids of various kinds y I g v v provided only that they have an 1-1 fi-hydroxyl grou which 3-, 17-, 20-, and 21-positionsWIn the course of the p Qurtinve'ntion thus encompasses, among ,others, sat

urated and unsaturated etiocholanes and androstanes having an 11 fllOH group, and yielding compounds of the t X wherein ll is a member of the groupcomprising 0 OH aeyloky an llp-hydroxyl'of'steroid compounds has hcessitated I the presence of a.3,9- epoXide,a IZL-keto'ne or some other activating nei'ghhor'ing group which mustvultimately be eliminated. i

According to the invention described in said C o-pending l acetoxy, propionogtfli'sbvaleroxy, methoxy, propoxy, etc.,

application, ester'ification of the llp-OHgroupof stroids having no other substituent in the C-ring, isetfected by treating the steroid with an acetylating (ormhigher homologous acylating) agent and with a'strong'acid catalyst, but under otherwise mild conditions. However, the

formed llfi-eSters'are difiic'ult'to 'hydrolyzewithouti' eff 7o "thei moleif" j, l i i meter 3* Theiiitelrmeniates having tli fecting ,nnde's'ired changes 'at .othef although aromatic derivatives, like benzoyloxy, benzyloxy, etc. are not included.

Our invention is, however, presently of, greatest value i accortlingh invention are of the following general formula:

, r 2,946,810.. A a

M. P. 174-177 Clal 57.0 (CHCl Hydrolysis of I with aqueous methanolic sodium hydroxide at room temperature overnight regenerates the starting triol Ia. 7 Partial hydrolysis of I is eifected by .(a) refluxing with O=Ri aqueous methanolic sodium bicarbonate, (b) sodium v methylate in methanol-tetrahydrofuran at room tempera- H000 i J sheletonand prepared in accordance with the present CHgRg ture, (c') Amberlite IRA-400 and methanol at room temperature. The product obtained in all three cases is pregnan-3u,11B,17a-triol-20-one ll-formate (II), MP.

160-166 C. Bromination at 0-21 (Ha), followed by acetoxylation with potassium acetate, produces pregnan 30:,11/8,17a,2l-tetrol-20-one ll-formate 21-acetate (V).

- Oxidation of V by means of an oxidizing agent yields pregnan-l 1B,17a,21t1l0l3,20-di0116 ll-formate 21-acetate wherein R is as above defined; R is a member of the (VI). Bromination at C-4 (VIa), followed by dehydrogroup comprising H, OH and acyloxy, and X, X are a bromination in the usual manner, gives Compound F member of the group comprising H, H and a double 11-formate ZI-acetate (VII). Hydrolysis of VII with bond. 7 either sodium bi-carbonate, or hydrochloric acid, yields Other hydroxyl groups which may be attached to the the physiologically active Compound F ll-formate steroid nucleus will be acylated in the course of our (VIIa). Hydrolysis of either VII or VI Ia with soprocess. However, as will be shown below, all acyloxy dium hydroxide over night at room temperature progroups with the exception of the llp-formyloxy group duces Compound F.

can be easily removed by mild alkaline hydrolysis. Our The oxidation of compound vV can be accomplished invention, by thus utilizing the greater resistance of the with a variety of oxidizing agents, such as N-halogenollfl-formlyoxy group to hydrolysis, accordingly provides acetamide and N-halogeno succinimide, preferably the a novel method for the synthesis of physiologically active N-bromo compounds, and also with alkali metal chrollfi-hydroxy compounds related to the adrenal and other mates and chromic acid. The bromination at C-4 can hormones, or of intermediates for use in the manufacture be eifected with bromine and acetic acid, or by the of such hormones. method described in the copending application of En- The following equations depict the synthesis of A gene P. Oliveto and Corinne E. Gerold, Serial No.

pregnen-l1B,17u,21-triol-3,20-dioue ll-formate (Com- 287,612, filed May 13, 1952, now Patent No. 2,684,375,

pound F ll-formate) with the aid ,of the process of'the by reaction of a keto steroid having a nuclear methylene present invention. group adjoining such keto group, with bromine in a OH: I OH: CH:

p I HO H000 i HO HCOO 011,13: cnioae ornoAc V JI=O -=0 V l=0 -01; ---0H 7 on 11000 I 11000 HCOO a .1 1 j H0- H0 0 V 7 11 v VI 7 cmoAo onion on "-0117 H000 H00 H000 'vm v11 7 VIIa solvent medium composed of a tertiary alcohol and an inerts'olvent for the keto-steroid which is miscible with Pregnan-3a,113,17a-trio1-20-0ne (Ia) upon treatment with 98-10 0% formic acidand perchloric acid (or ptoluene sulfonic acid) yields the. 3,1 1,17-tritormate the tertiary alcohol and containing a strong mineral acid.

with methylene chloride. The organic extracts were washed with water, dried over sodium sulfate and evaportaed to dryness. The-residue, upon treatment with ether, yielded 0.25 g. of crystalline II, M.P. 160-166 C.

B. A solution of 0.5 g. of I in 25 ml. of tetrahydrofuran and 25 ml. of methanol was treated with a solution of 0.75 g. of sodium methylate in 10 ml. of methanol under an atmosphere of argon. After five minutes, 0.72 ml. of water was added and three minutes later the excess alkali was neutralized with acetic acid. The solution was concentrated under reduced pressure, water was added and the precipitated solid removed by filtration.

-Crystallization from ether-hexane yielded 0.14 g. of II,

C. A solution of 1.0 g. of I in 50 ml. of methanol was stirred for two hours at 25 C. with 4.0 g. of Amberlite IRA-400 resin. The resin was then removed by liltration and the filtrate evaporated to dryness, leaving 0.88 g. of an oil; its infrared spectrum was identical with that of II.

Hydrolysis of the monoformate with sodium hydroxide as described above also yielded the starting triol, pregnan- 3a,l'lfl,l7a-triol-20-one.

EXAMPLE 3 Pregnan-J 1 fi,17oc-dil 3,20-di0ne 11,17-dif0rmate (IV) A solution of 1.0 g. of pregnan-l15,17a-di0l-3,20-dione (III) and 0110 g. of p-toluene sulfonic acid in 10 ml. of

98-100% formic acid was allowed to stand overnight at 25 C. The mixture was then poured into water and the precipitated solid was removed by filtration. Recrystallization from acetone-hexane yielded pregnan-118B,17adiol-3,20-dione 11,17-diforma-te (IV), M.P. 240-245 C. The analytical sample, crystallized twice more from acetone-hexane, melted at 256-264" C., .[ocl +47.4 (dioxane).

Analysis.-Calcd. for C H O C, 68.29; H, 7.97.

.Found: C, 68.47; H, 8.17.

HYDROL YSIS OF IV A. A suspension of 1.0 g. of IV in 80 ml. of methanol and 10.0 ml. of 1 N aqueous sodium hydroxide was stirred for 19 hours at 25 C. One ml. of acetic acid was added, the solution concentrated under reduced pressure, water was added and the precipitate collected by filtration; it weighed 0.82 g., M.P. ZOO-210 C. Recrystallization from acetone-hexane yielded 0.64 g., M.P. 214-222 C. A mixed melting point-and comparison of infrared spectrashowed this product to be identical with'pregnan-l 1 5,1711- diol-3-20-dione (III).

B. A mixture of 1.0 g. of IV, 20 ml. of methanol, 1.0 g. of potassium carbonate and 6 ml. of water was stirred for 20 hours at 25 C. After addition of 1.5 ml. of acetic acid, the solution was concentrated under reduced pressure. When crystallization began, the suspension was diluted with water and the solid was collected by filtration; 0.82 g., M.P. l90-l96 C. Crystallization from acetonehexane yielded 0.55 g. of III, M.P. 211-214" C.

EXAMPLE 4 Pregnaiz-Sa,I15,17a,21-tetr0l 20 one 1 1' forr nale 21- acetate. (V)

hours. The acetone was removed under reduced pressure,

' EXAMPLE 5 A solution of1.43 g. of V in 15 ml. of methylene chloride and 15 ml. of t-butyl alcohol was treated with 1.34 g. of N-bromo-acetamide at 5 C. After four hours at this temperature in the dark, sodium sulfite solution was added and the mixture extracted withvmethylene chloride. The organic extracts were washed twice with water, dried over sodium sulfate and evaporated to dryness. The, residue, crystallized easily on treatment with ether; 1.43 g. of VI were obtained, M.P. -193" C. Recrystallization from acetone-hexane yielded 0.80 g. of VI, M.P. 214-217 C. The analytical sample, crystallized twice more from acetone-hexane, melted at 222-225 C.

HYDROLYSIS 0F VI EXAMPLE 6 M-pregrien-l1 8,17e,21-tri0l-3,20-di0ne 1 acetate (VII) A solution of 1.0 g. of VI in 5 ml. of methylene chloride and 5 ml. of t-butyl alcohol was brominated by the dropwise addition of a solution of 0.38 g. bromine in 5 1 1 -formate 21 1 ml. of methylene chloride and 5 ml. of t-butyl alcohol.

The methylene chloride was removed under reduced pressure and water was added to precipitate 4-bromopregnanl1B,17a,'21-triol 3,20-dione ll-fon'nate 21-acetate (VIa).

Dehydrobromination of VIa was accomplished via the semicarbazide. A mixture of 1.5 g. of the 4-bromide, 400 mg. of semicarbazide, 65 ml. of t-butyl alcohol and 40 ml. of chloroform was stirred for two hours at room temperature. The solvent was then removed under reduced pressure, water was added, and the precipitated A -pregnen- 11,6,17a,21-triol-3,20-dione ll-formate 21-acetate 3-semicarbazone removed by filtration. This product was then dissolved in 15 ml. of acetic acid containing 5 of water and 300 mg. of pyruvic acid and the mixture rediuxed 10 minutes. Addition of water and cooling precipitated A pregnen 11fi,17oc,21 triol-3,20-dione 11- ztormate ZI-acetate' (VII).

HYDROLYSIS 'OF VII Exactly as described for the hydrolysis of VI, VII was hydrolyzed to Compound F (A -pregnen-1 1)S,17a,21-t1l0l- 3,20dione), M.P. 220-222 C.

I V 7 EXAMPLE 7 Preghan-JI 8,17a-diol-3,20-di0ne 11-;f0rmate (VII I) A. A suspension of 0.81 g. of IV in 8 of C.P. chloroform was chilled in an ice bath and treated witha cold so1ution'of1.70 ml. of cone. HCl in 2.8 m1. of water. After shaking for 26 hrsr-at 25, the solution was diluted with waterand the aqueous layer extracted with methylene chloride. The combined extracts were washed with dilute sodium bicarbonate solution, water, dried over sodium sulfate, and evaporated. The residue crystallized upon treatment with ether, yielded crude compound VIII, M.P. '181-4 (-200" upon recrystallization from acetone-hexane). 1 e

B. Asolution of 1.0 g.,of IV in 50 ml. of tetrahydrottu-ran and 50 ml. of C.P. methanol was treated with a solution of 0.28 g. of sodium methylate in 20 ml. or methanol under an atmosphere. of argon. minutes, 0.27 'of water was added; '3 minutes later the excess alkali was neutralized by the addition of acetic After 5 =nation' yielded :X.

acidl -"I he solution' was then concentrated minder reduce pressure, water added, and theprecipitate removed by filtration. Recrystallization from acetone-hexane yielded VIII, M.P. 198-200":,,Eu1 fl7.1.-

Analysis.--Oalcd. for C H O C, 70.18; H, 8.57.

Found: C, 70.38; H, 8.81.

EXAMPLE 8 I M-pregnen-l1,3,17u-di0l-3,20-di0ne 1.1 Jammie (IX) 1.1111 the miannerr: described above, 12:0- g. .of *VIII were brominated iat G-4and 'dehydrobro'minated via the semicarbazone to y-ield IX. p

EXAMPLE 9 above manner toyyield pregnan-l1,8,21-diol-3,20-dione 11,2;l diformate: (Xa). Bromination and dehydrohronn- EXAMPIiE 1'0 A*-pregnen-11,B,21-di0l-3,20-di0ne 11 -formatte (XI) Hydrolysis of X with either hydrochloric acid or sodium methylate as described above, yielded Compound XI.

EXAMPLE 11 M-pregnen-IJBJI-dioZ-3,20-dione (XII) Overnight hydrolysis'of XI with sodium hydroxide as previously described yielded XII.

Using the procedures described in the above examples, the following further llfi-formyloxy steroids can be readily prepared: etiocholan-3a,l1fi,17fl-triol ll-formate and 3,11,17 triformate; fitiOChOlflIl-3cc,-11BdiO1-17-0116 ll-formate and 3,11-difor-mate; etiocholan-11B-ol-3, 17- dione ll-formate; etiocholan-l1,8,17,8-diol-3-one ll-formate and 11,17-diformate; A etiocholan-llB,l7,Bdiol-3- one ll-for mate and 11,17-diformate; =androstan-3a,1118- diol-17-one ll-formate and 3,11-di-formate; androstan- 1 1fl-ol-3,17-dione l l-formate; androstan-l15,17p-dio1-3- one ll-formate and 11,17-diformate; pregnan-3u,11;3- diol-ZO-one ll-formate and 3,1l-diformate; pregnan-llfi- 0l-3,20-dione ll-formate; pregnan-3a,11B,20a-triol 11- formate and 3,11,20-triformate; pregnan-3a,1l/3,2013-triol ll-formate and 3,11,20-triformate; 'pregnan-11fi,20adiol-3-one ll-formate and 11,20-diformate; pregnan-llfl, 20fl-diol-3-one ll-formate and 11 ,20-diformate; A pregnen1 1 8-ol-3,20-dione 1 l-formate; A -pregnen-1 1B, 20a-diol-3-one ll-formate and 11,20-diformate; A -pregnen-11fi,20fi-diol-3-one 11-formate and 11,20-diformate; pregnan 3a,11B,17a,20]3,21 penta ol ll-formate and penta-formate; A apreg-nen l 113,17oc,20-triOl-3,20-di0l16 1 1, 17-diformate and 11,17,20-trif0rmate; A -pregnen-l lfl, 17a,20;3,21-tetrol ll-formate and tetra-formate; pregnan- 3a,1113,20 3,21-tetro1 ll-formate and tetra-formate; A

.;11 M121;diol=320=dione lil f 'rrrrate I and l'l'gzil diformate;

16oz, 17a-oxido-M-pregnen- 1 15-01-33 -one 1 1 formate; and 16a, l7a-oxidopregnan-1 lfi-ol-3 ,20-dione 1 l-formate,

' By strong acid v as employed herein is meant an acid having a dissociation constant K equal to at least 10*. This includes the hydrohalic-acids;ilike hydrochloric acid, which are generally not as satisfactory as the other acids named hereinabove. The "acid employed should, however, not be one Which will oxidizethe 1'1 fl-hydroxyl. For best results, as already indicated, the acylation of the 11phydroxyl should take place at approximately room temperature.

Variations from the specific procedures set out here inabove may be resorted to within the scopes of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus, to prepare A -pregnen-11B,l7u, 2l-trio1- 3,20-dione 11,17,2lI-triester, Compound VII or VIIa can be further acylated in known manner with any desired acylating agent; while to produce the 11,17-diformate, the

tn'formate can be carefully hydrolyzed at room or slightly elevated temperatures with sodium bicarbonate.

It will also be evident from the foregoing that it is immaterial what the specific acyl groups may be at the positions other than the 11 fi-position, as they will all hydrolyze more readily than the 11,8-formyl group.

We claim:

1. Pregnan-3u,11,8,17a-triol-20-one llfl-formate.

2. A -pregne-n-11 8,17a,21-triol-3,20-dione ll-formate.

3. M-pregnen-l1,9,17a,21-triol-3,20-dione ll-formate 21-acetate.

4. Process for the manufacture of pregnan-3a,11p,17a, 21-tetrol-20-one ILB-formate 2l-acetate, which comprises reacting pregnane-3a,11fl,17u-triol-20-one with a formylating agent in the presence of a strong acid catalyst to convert the same into the triformate, subjecting the triforrnate to a mild hydrolysis to produce pregnane-3 u,l1 3,

- 17a-triol-20-one llli-formate, reacting the latter with bromine to produce the 21-bromo compound, and reactpregnen-l1p,20 8,21-triol-3-one ll-formate and triforing the bromo compound with an alkali metal acetate.

5. Process for the manufacture of A -pregnen-11p,17u, 2l-triol-3,20-dione, which comprises reacting pregnanc- 3a,1l,B,17a-triol-20-one with a formylating agent inthe presence of a strong acid catalyst to convert the same into the triformate, subjecting the trifor-mate to a mild hydrolysis to produce pregnane-3u,11fi,17m-triol-20-one 11,8- formate, reactingthe latter with bromine to produce the 21-bromo compound, reacting the bromo compound with an alkali metal salt of an organic carboxylic acid to produce the 21-ester, oxidizing the 3-hydroxy group to a keto group, brominating the so-formed pregnane-l 15,1711, 2'l-triol-3,20-dione ll-formate 2l-ester ,to form the corresponding 4-bromo compound, dehydrobrominating the product to introduce a double bond at the 4-position, and hydrolyzing the product by reacting the ester groups with hydroxyl.

6. Process for the manufacture of A -11B,17a,21-tri0l- I 3,20-dione-1l-formate Zl-acetate, Which comprises reacting pregnane-3u,11,3,17a-tri0l-20-0ne with a formylating agent in the presence of a strong acid catalyst to convert the same into the triformate, subjecting the triform-ate to a mild hydrolysis to produce pregnane-Ba,11,8,17a-trio1- 20-one llfi-forrnate, reacting the latter with bromine to produce the 21 bromo compound, reacting the bromo compound with an alkali metal acetate to produce the 21- acetate, oxidizing the B-hydroxy group to a keto group,

brominating the so-formed pregnane-11B,17a,21-triol- 3,20-dione ll-formate-Zl-acetate to form the corresponding 4-bromo compound, and dehydrobrominating the product to introduce a double bond at the 4-position.

7. Pregnan 3a,11fi,17a,21 tetrol-ZO-one 11 fl-formate 21-acetate.

8. Pregnan-11B,17a-diol-3,20-dione 1113,17a-dif0rmate.

9. Pregnan-11p,17a,21-triol-3,20-dione ll-formate 21- acetate. 8

10. Compounds of the group consisting of saturated 'HCOO 8 CO5 wherein R is a member of the class consisting of 7 HO 7 lower Elkanoyloxy and Benzoyloxy 10 and R is a member of the class consisting of H, OH, and

low alkanoyloxy and benzoyloxy groups; and Z is a member of the class consisting of :0 and (H, OH).

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,183,589 Reichstein Dec. 19, 1939 2,533,124 Levin Dec. 5, 1950 2,647,134 Hogg July 28, 1953 OTHER REFERENCES Reichstein: Helv. Chem. Acta 19, 37-38 (1936). Fieser et a1.: Natural Products Related toPhenanthrene, 3rd. edition, pages 424-426 (1949). 

10. COMPOUNDS OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SATURATED AND $4 UNSATURATED PREGNANES HAVING THE FOLLOWING RESPECTIVE FORMULAE: 